


Slow Burn

by CatrinaSL



Series: 100 Ways to Say I Love You [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 100 ways to say i love you, Alcohol, BAMF Women, Boss/Employee Relationship, F/F, SHIP DARCY LEWIS WITH ALL THE THINGS, Slow Burn, Tony Being Tony, Women Being Awesome, Women Supporting Women
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-03-29 19:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 4,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13933926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatrinaSL/pseuds/CatrinaSL
Summary: Pepper and Darcy have a strictly professional relationship. They support each other, encourage one another, and back each other up. The fact that they admire one another is strictly professional as well... isn't it?





	1. A Treacherous Descent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy makes sure that Pepper avoids a treacherous descent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 17\. “Watch your step.”

A majority of the gathered crowd was paying attention to Tony “Look at Me, Look at Me” Stark and the smiling, supportive Pepper Potts behind him, as they announced a new energy initiative by Stark Industries, one that would benefit the entire world.

But at the back of the crowd, skirting around the edge, was someone who wasn’t paying attention to the words coming out of the billionaire’s mouth, or the smile on the face of his CEO.

She was instead looking at Pepper’s shoes.

Darcy Lewis was kind of in love with Pepper’s shoes. 

Well, if she was honest, she was kind of in love with Pepper, but the shoes were her focal point at the moment.

She continued her prowl of the outer edges of the crowd until she reached the front, flashed her badge, and allowed security to usher her to a corner of the stage, where she took issue with the temporary stairs that would soon be descended by the two very important people on the temporary stage.

Tony wrapped things up, the crowd cheered, and Pepper continued smiling as Tony waved and they both made their exit.

“Watch your step,” Darcy warned her as Pepper grasped the railing and accepted Darcy’s hand to give her more stability as she stepped down the stairs.

“Whoa,” Pepper gasped, wobbling, and Darcy grabbed her elbow, helping her get to the ground in those expensive shoes without incident. “If you hadn’t been here…”

“I hate to think about what might have happened,” Darcy said, then, with a wink, added, “To your shoes.”

Pepper nodded, smiling knowingly.

She opened her mouth to say something else, but that was when Tony totally biffed it on the stairs.

“I didn’t have any cocktails with breakfast!” he laughingly told the press as they snapped pictures of him. “Okay, if you decide to print that headline anyway, at least say I was drinking the good stuff!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/172003817918/a-treacherous-descent)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	2. Save the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy daydreams about threatening the Secretary of State with a nine iron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 36\. “We’ll figure it out.”

Darcy paced down one side of Pepper's massive office and then up the other.

"Who does he think he is?!" she huffed.

"A very powerful man," Pepper replied absent-mindedly, as she composed an email to one of her government contacts.

"Sam said he even dropped Bruce's name. I  _ know _ that this whole thing started with that jerk-off trying to get Bruce back under his thumb." She shook her head and repeated the pattern she'd been pacing for hours. "I thought he was supposed to be retired. Golfing. I'd like to take a golf club to his—"

"Darcy," Pepper interrupted, giving her an understanding look. "You cannot use a nine iron on the skull of the Secretary of State."

Darcy scrunched up her nose. "Sand wedge?" she haggled.

Pepper laughed, then shook her head and returned to her email.

Darcy went back to pacing. "It's completely ridiculous. It's just an excuse to try to control the Avengers. It's just that pompous—"

Pepper reached out and grabbed Darcy's wrist as she paced past her desk. Darcy let out a long breath through her nose.

"We'll figure it out," Pepper assured her.

Darcy nodded. "Yeah. We will." She sighed and shook herself a little. "Thanks for listening to me rant."

Pepper smiled and released her, and Darcy grinned back.

"Okay. Then let's save the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/172658017553/save-the-world)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	3. Laugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper finds herself thinking of Darcy and her laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 38\. “I like your laugh.”

Pepper had heard it lots of times.

Darcy's laugh.

Sometimes it started quietly, like when she caught on to the end of a joke early. Low and delighted, it would grow until no one else's laugh could be heard.

Sometimes it was pointed; a crow of triumph when she beat Tony at a video game: "Ha!" In those instances, it was often accompanied by a little giggle of satisfaction.

Sometimes it began falsely, a demonstration of the "correct" mad scientist's cackle. Even in that sort of circumstance, the sound of her true mirth emerged, as she always ended the lesson sharing the enjoyment of the task with whichever eager student she had taken under her wing.

Sometimes it was sarcastic, the perfect biting reply to a hopeful business partner's poorly calculated pitch.

Sometimes it was smug and satisfied, the pure auditory equivalent of "I told you so."

Sometimes it was incredulous, like whenever Pepper said something complimentary, such as, "You look nice today," or "We couldn't have done that without you," or "I like your laugh."

Pepper didn't mind if Darcy didn't believe her, as long as she (and her laugh) stayed around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/172731956168/laugh)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	4. The Gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy brings Pepper a (belated) birthday gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 40\. “I made this for you.”

It was a week past her birthday (and several hours past quitting time, but who pays attention to that?) when Darcy bumbled into Pepper's office and dumped an armful of soft and fluffy  _ something _ onto Pepper's desk.

"I made this for you," she announced proudly. Then she added, "With my hands. Well, arms, really. Which is why I couldn't get it to you on time, because it took me forever, and I'm sorry about that, and also that it isn’t wrapped. But happy late birthday, I guess."

"Thank you," Pepper said automatically, turning in her chair and reaching out to touch whatever it was. It was large, and thick, and her favorite color. As she ran her hand underneath it, she could tell how warm it was. "Wait, I... I was looking at these online last winter! How did you know?"

"Well, I kinda creeped on your browser history, but I figure it was for a good cause so you won't fire me." When Pepper didn't reply, Darcy continued: "It's kind of difficult stuff to work with, and I messed up over here, and over there—"

"You  _ made _ this?" Pepper asked in amazement. "Darcy, this is... this is amazing. The materials must have cost—"

Darcy waved her objection away. "I have a friend who makes it and they gave me a discount."

Pepper stood and hugged the blanket. It had seemed huge in Darcy's arms, and it felt gigantic in hers; she lugged it over to her designer couch to spread it out, determined to see exactly how big it was.

"It's not very big," Darcy said, as she stepped over to help Pepper stretch her creation over the back of the couch. It tumbled across the overstuffed leather and touched the floor, apparently trying to prove Darcy wrong.

"I'd like to see your version of a 'very big' blanket," Pepper told her.

"Well," Darcy began, "I guess it is bigger than your average couch throw, but you couldn't, like, cover your bed with it or anything."

Pepper laughed. "It's wonderful," she said, and pulled Darcy in for a hug. "Thank you."

Darcy's voice sounded quietly pleased when she replied, "You're welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/172795266303/the-gift)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	5. Move Heaven and Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper will move heaven and earth for Darcy, because Darcy's already done the same for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 51\. “Are you sure?”

Darcy didn't mean for Pepper to pick up on her mood, she really didn't. Pepper was on the phone when Darcy brought in her dinner (and set it on the coffee table instead of her desk in the hope that would get her away from work for  _ five minutes _ ), so she seemed distracted enough.

But when Darcy returned with the bottle of wine that was supposed to pair with the fish, Pepper was hanging up the phone and looking at her with concern.

Darcy blew out a breath.  _ Busted. _

"Is everything all right?" Pepper asked, stepping out from behind the desk and making her way over to where Darcy was wrestling the cork out of the bottle. "You seem... like you need a hug."

"Pretty tough down in the labs today," Darcy reported, contorting herself into the exact yoga-like position that always aided cork-prying. "Jane is back for a couple of days, but the guy she left in charge is being a dick, like he has to make sure everyone knows he'll still be in charge when she leaves again? Literally no one cares but him, but it's pissing Jane off, which pisses Tony off, which pisses  _ me _ off, and I just..." She sighed. "Even though you have a million other people helping you save the world up here, sometimes I'd rather be on the phone arguing with Senator's aides for you than trying to beat down the ego of a jumped-up lackey with delusions of authority."

"Actually, if you think Jane can spare you, I'd love for you to try to wrangle me a phone conference with Senator Hardy tomorrow. I've had people trying all day, and even calling personally—" she gestured at the phone, "—didn't get me very far. She's open to talking, but just really busy. I need someone who won't take 'the earliest available appointment for a phone conference with the Senator is in three weeks' for an answer."

Darcy put down the wine. "Seriously?"

Pepper smiled. "I need someone good at beating down the egos of jumped-up lackeys with delusions of authority."

"Pssht. After PhD candidates, Senator's Aides are child's play," Darcy said confidently. She could feel her bad mood lifting, replaced with an attitude of pride and determination.

"I hope you realize that we appreciate everything you do here, Darcy," Pepper assured her, "whether it seems like a little thing or a company-saving thing."

Darcy narrowed her eyes, amused but suspicious. "I feel like I'd be making more money if that were true."

Pepper set her wine aside with a laugh. "We need to make a rule about not making me snort my drink out my nose," she said. "Especially when it's expensive!"

"So is that a no on the raise, then?" Darcy pressed.

"Get Senator Hardy on the phone for me tomorrow and I will not only get you a raise, I'll get you a corner office."

"Are you sure?" Darcy asked, an eyebrow raised. "Because the corner office I want is Fuller's, and she will fight you, even though she could have used more space about a year and a half ago."

"I will move heaven and earth for you," Pepper promised.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you? Darcy asked.

"You already have," Pepper told her, and took a sip of her wine, inclining it toward Darcy. "It's past 7:30, I'm not at my desk, and that's all because of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/173293931423/move-heaven-and-earth)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	6. Mutual Admiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy admires Pepper. The feeling is mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 55\. “I don’t mind.”

Darcy glanced at Pepper's schedule before sticking her head into Pepper's office. Sure enough, she wasn't on the phone, and seemed to merely be answering emails.

"You're not doing anything for the next couple hours, right? And you have a luncheon on the other side of town later?" she asked.

Pepper looked up, surprised to see her. "That's right," she said.

"Do you care if I work in here for a while? They're still working on my office and it's easier to focus on interrupting lobbyists at just the right time when I'm not accidentally huffing paint."

"Uh, sure, I don't mind," Pepper told her, and gestured toward the coffee table.

"Thanks," Darcy said gratefully, hauling her stuff over to the couch. "I'd work in the conference room, but the last time I did that, Jimbo von MBA gave me the stink-eye, so..."

Pepper nodded, a slight frown on her face.

Darcy's phone rang, and she rushed to pop her ear piece in before answering. "I hope I'm not too much of a bother," she told Pepper, and answered the call.

There was too much battling going on for Darcy to pay much attention to anything else in the room, but any time she glanced over at Pepper, she was working diligently, or else smiling in Darcy’s direction.

Once, when the person she was speaking to had the audacity to put her on hold, she looked up to see James, a valuable and important member of the Stark Industries Team (or as she liked to call him, Jimbo von MBA), standing in front of Pepper's desk. Pepper was also standing, and she was glaring.

"Actually, I don't see how  _ your _ attitude is helpful to the company, James," Pepper said. "Neither can I find any reason why you should be concerned about where Ms. Lewis works. I suppose I can't stop you from lording over the conference room if that makes you feel fulfilled somehow, but this is  _ my _ office, and if  _ I _ don't mind, then why the hell should you?"

He muttered something Darcy couldn't hear, but Pepper nodded.

"Mmm, I thought so. Well, James, the fact is that Ms. Lewis got things done for SI where no one one else could. I would think that as her  _ teammate _ , you would applaud her success and in the future, help her to continue to succeed however you can. But if that's really the way you feel, then maybe you would be better suited in a company that encourages an unhealthy amount of competition between colleagues."

Jimbo von Cut-Down-to Size muttered what must have been an apology, glanced over at Darcy, and then ran for his  life job.

"You're so badass. It's my favorite," Darcy told Pepper, then heard the click of someone picking up the line, so she turned back to the phone. "Yes, Darcy Lewis, Stark Industries, still here. If you put me on hold again without my consent, there will be dire consequences. Furthermore, if I'm not on the phone with your boss in thirty seconds, you are going to have to be the one to tell him about said consequences. Do we understand each other?" After the frightened underling on the other end of the phone ran off to do her bidding, Darcy looked up at Pepper.

Pepper smiled an impressed smile. "Same."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/173355930038/mutual-admiration)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	7. Shared Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy and Pepper share space under Pepper's birthday gift when the heat in Stark Tower goes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 57\. “There is enough room for both of us.”

On the way back to her office, Darcy stopped to check on Pepper. "Are you frozen yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, and I have you to thank," Pepper replied, ensconced as she was on her couch, under the blanket Darcy had made her for her birthday.

"Maintenance says the heat should be back on within half an hour. Will you be okay until then, or should I call your car so you can go home for the day?"

Pepper smiled. "Nice try."

Darcy sighed, defeated. "Well, let me know if you need anything."

"Are  _ you _ warm enough?" Pepper asked, concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm rad," Darcy replied. "I have an oversized sweater and a thermal mug of coffee. I'll be fine."

Pepper didn't look convinced, and flipped one edge of the blanket up. "Come on," she urged.

"Huh?"

"There's enough room for both of us," Pepper told her, and gestured her over. "The coffee won't hurt, either."

"Shared heat, huh?" Darcy asked, crossing the office to cuddle under the blanket with her.

Pepper smiled. "That, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/173389226533/shared-heat)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	8. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy vows not to work too hard... as long as Pepper doesn't, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 63\. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

"And I promise I'll keep your plants watered and make sure Tony stays out of trouble  _ and _ out of the bourbon in your desk."

Pepper sighed. "I'll only be gone for a few days," she said. "I wish you'd just promise that you won't work too hard while I'm gone."

"You should talk," Darcy scoffed. 

Pepper gave her a look, so Darcy tossed her a salute. "Cross my heart and hope to die!" she vowed. "If..."

"If?" Pepper asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darcy grinned. " _ If _ you promise the same."

Pepper looked unconvinced.

"I'll make you a deal. I'll stop working when you stop working. The second I get a selfie from you in the car on the way home, I'll quit for the day."

"But the time change—" Pepper protested.

"Guess you'd better take it easy this trip," Darcy said with a shrug, "because I'm not going to stop working until you do."

"Are you serious?" Pepper asked.

"Totally," Darcy said. "I'm at my desk until you leave yours, so please, won't you think of the poor Darcy selflessly toiling away while you're gone?"

"But—" Pepper attempted to object, but Darcy hugged her, then shoved her out the door.

"Okay, great, that's settled, have a good time, goodbye!"

The next day, Pepper decided not to take any chances, and moved a meeting to earlier in the day, texting Darcy a selfie at 3:30 pm, the earliest she had gone home from work  _ ever _ .

Darcy replied with a selfie of her own. A huge grin was on her face, and the caption below read, "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/173546142458/its-five-oclock-somewhere)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	9. Workaholic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy lets Pepper know that she is perfect just the way she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 85\. “It doesn’t bother me.”

Pepper sighed, looked at the clock on the wall (which read 7:18 pm), and asked, "Darcy, am I a workaholic?"

Darcy's head popped off the couch. "Oh, yeah. Definitely. Without question." She squinted at Pepper. "Wait, have you been reading the comments again? Pepper! What is our number one rule?!"

Pepper sighed and recited the rule along with Darcy: ""Don't read the comments.""

"I know," Pepper continued. "But an article on buffpo doesn't count as the comments."

"It does if the writer and editor are an entire caravan of ass-wagons," Darcy countered matter-of-factly, laying her head back down on the couch.

Pepper stared at the headline. "I am, aren't I?" she realized. 

"Are you serious?" Darcy asked, peeking at her again.

Pepper gave her a helpless look.

"Okay, no way. Absolutely not. You are kickass; you  _ cannot _ let the patriarchy make you feel bad that you're kickass. Everybody is different. You're single handedly saving the world every day. You do not need to stop, or cut back, or be anyone other than the kickass Pepper we know and love, just because your name came up on the randomizer of who the patriarchal ass-wagons decided needed to feel bad today. Screw them; you're awesome."

"But," Pepper began, her rebuttal ready from the moment Darcy had started to speak, "you try to get me to go home early or take days off all the time."

Darcy let out a long sigh, her frustration obvious. "That's not because I'm trying to hold you back or anything, Pepper. It's all for you. Kick ass and take names all you want, but a little down time is healthy; you know it is."

Pepper considered this. She  _ had _ felt more relaxed during her recent California visit. The latest she had worked had been 6 pm, and Darcy, in her office in New York, had not made a peep about it. 

"You  _ are _ a workaholic, Pepper. But that doesn't have to be a negative thing. Look at how much you've already accomplished."

Pepper couldn't argue with that. "But... you don't mind?" she asked.

Darcy smirked and ducked back behind the couch. "Pepper," she called. "You're you. Workaholic or not, it doesn't bother me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/174437060253/workaholic)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	10. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper has the utmost faith in Darcy. Even in the face of evil incarnate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 93\. “I believe in you.”

It hadn't been fifteen minutes since they'd said goodbye, so Pepper laughed in the backseat of her car when she saw Darcy was calling her.

"Miss me already?" she asked as she answered.

"What?" Darcy hissed. "No! I mean, well, yes, but that's not why I'm calling! Pepper, he's—he's  _ here _ !"

" _ Who’s _ there?"

"I dunno who let him in, but he's just sitting there in your office like he owns the place," Darcy continued, unheeding. "I swear if he touches the blanket I made for you, I'm getting the golf clubs."

There weren't very many people who could intimidate Darcy Lewis with their mere presence. 

Pepper was making a list in her head of who it could be when Darcy went on: "On second thought, I think I  _ will _ have someone bring me up the golf clubs. His face could definitely use a wedging."

"Darcy..." Pepper began, as she caught on. "Is  _ General Ross _ in my office?!"

"Yeah, hey, Quinn? Would you mind going down to the gym and grabbing me a bag of golf clubs? Or do you know if Tony used to keep any up here? He seems like the kind of guy who would see if he could hit a ball or two into the river on occasion."

"Darcy, do I need to turn the car around?" Pepper asked.

"Oh my god,  _ would _ you? Because, I mean, if I go in there I'll probably just threaten him bodily and piss him off, plus offend whatever friends he still has. But if  _ you _ show up, you'll work your Pepper magic and he'll be out the door in less than thirty seconds, thinking it was his idea to leave."

"I... I  _ could _ ..." Pepper said, glancing at the rear view mirror where she could see Happy shaking his head. "Except I really can't miss this flight..."

"Okay, cool, awesome, I'm not frightened at all," Darcy blatantly lied. "I'll just send an underling in there to tell him Ms. Potts isn't in at the moment, make an appointment to come back later or better yet never, and he'll leave, and I'll go in there and disinfect, and everything will be fine again." She cleared her throat the way she always did when she was squaring her shoulders, preparing to do something unpleasant. "Okay, who would  _ you _ send in to do that?"

Pepper knew immediately, but she waited a beat to see if Darcy would come to the same conclusion.

"Somebody smart enough to could talk around him without actually letting him know they're afraid of him," Darcy brainstormed. "Someone who has enough delicacy to be polite when it's called for but has enough of a spine not to take 'I'll wait until she gets back' as an answer."

Pepper waited.

Darcy sounded disappointed when she realized who she was talking about. "Oh. Me."

Pepper smiled. "You can do it," she encouraged. "I believe in you."

"You know I would do anything for you, Pepper," Darcy growled. "But I  _ really _ don't want to do this."

"I'm sorry," Pepper said, and she was.

"Okay. I've got this. You just get to London safe, and I'll take out the trash."

"I'm sorry," Pepper repeated.

"I know," Darcy told her. "Go be awesome. I gotta get in there and slay."

Pepper stared at her phone when the call ended. She pressed a button to raise the divider between her and Happy, and then whispered, "FRIDAY, could you patch me in to the video feed of my office?"

FRIDAY sounded amused when she replied, "Of course, Ms. Potts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/174635203078/faith)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	11. Unsaid But Heavily Implied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy kicks ass. For Pepper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I love you.”

Darcy waltzed into Pepper's office as though on a mission. She deposited one of the folders she was carrying on a table by the door, then gathered another from the coffee table next to the couch before heading for the desk.

She started when she spotted General Ross watching her progress across the room. "Oh," she said, convincingly surprised. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize there was anyone—" She cleared her throat. "How can I help you, Mr...?"

"General," he corrected. "General Ross. I'm waiting for Ms. Potts. I've been waiting a while, actually. Could you tell me when exactly I can expect her?"

Darcy's spine was straight as she stepped over to the desk and set down her payload. "I'm afraid I can't," she said matter-of-factly. "She's on her way to London, Mr. Ross, so you'll have to come back another time. I recommend making an appointment, or perhaps calling ahead?"

"It's  _ General _ ," he reminded her. "And what's wrong with your staff? Why wasn't I told that she wasn't here? I've been waiting for—"

Darcy smiled sweetly. "I'm sure that's all due to your  _ commanding presence _ , Mr. Ross."

It was obvious that Ross was trying to restrain himself yelling at her about getting his name wrong again, but Darcy interrupted before he could. 

"If you'd like to leave a message, I could take that for you, and make sure she receives it when she gets back, or perhaps I could try to answer any questions you might have."

Ross stood, blustering something about the Avengers.

"Of course Ms. Potts knows where they are, Mr. Ross, as do you. The King of Wakanda has returned home, The Vision is at the Avengers Compound in Ithaca, and you'll be glad to hear that Colonel Rhodes is progressing well in his physical therapy; I believe he is in California visiting family at the moment. And you know Mr. Stark." She laughed, and the sound was pleasant. "He goes where he pleases."

Ross grumbled something else, and Darcy's smile became sharper.

"I am quite sure, Mr. Ross, that Ms. Potts would inform the  _ proper authorities _ the moment she was contacted by any criminals. As for the 'other ones,' as you put it, Ms. Potts was under the impression that they had been apprehended and incarcerated." 

The " _ because of you _ " hung loudly in the air, unsaid but heavily implied.

The friendly smile reappeared on Darcy's face. "Now, was there anything else?" she asked.

Before Ross could answer, the office door opened slightly to admit the top half of Max Quinn, one of Pepper's administrative assistants. "Excuse me, Dar—uh, Ms. Lewis? I have the golf clubs you asked for."

"Thank you, Quinn," Darcy replied. "You can leave them there by the door, that's fine."

Ross opened his mouth, a confused look on his face. Darcy's expression invited him to ask, but he appeared to think better of it.

"Well, uh, why don't you have her call me when she gets back, whenever that is?"

Darcy started toward the door, ushering Ross along with her. He didn't seem to notice he was being dismissed, but walked alongside her anyway.

"It might be more convenient for everyone if you have your people call her people," she suggested. "That way everyone will be on the same page, and we can avoid any waiting uselessly in one another's offices nonsense." 

The addition of " _ you dumbass _ " hung loudly in the air, unsaid but heavily implied.

"Yes, well—"

Darcy's face  _ seemed _ innocent and helpful, and that was likely what was throwing Ross off.

"—Maybe I'll do that," he finished.

"Great," Darcy agreed, pushing Ross out the door. "I'm sure we'll see you back when Ms. Potts returns!" 

The " _ or never _ " hung loudly in the air, unsaid but heavily implied.

"Of course," Ross replied, completely unaware of the way Darcy's hand grasped onto one of the golf clubs out of sight behind the door. "I'll, uh, I'll be back."

Darcy seemed to know that replying would prolong the conversation, so she allowed him to have the last word. 

After pausing for a moment as though watching him onto the elevator, Darcy snapped the door shut and in the same movement withdrew the fairway woods she had latched onto and attacked one of the couch pillows with it. The strike didn't destroy the Ross stand-in, but it left a huge dent.

"If that doesn't prove how much I love you, Pepper," she growled, "I don't know what will."

Pepper turned off the feed after Darcy violently returned the club to the bag and dragged it out of the office.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/174664348773/unsaid-but-heavily-implied)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


	12. Nowhere Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper puzzles over Darcy's declaration and comes to a realization of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “I love you, too.”

Pepper found it a little hard to concentrate during her UK trip. She still got things done, but more than once she found herself wrapping things up early, quitting for the day much sooner than she normally would have. She blamed it on jet lag, but she knew the real reason. And from the looks Happy was giving her, she was pretty sure he did, too.

She watched the scene with Ross and Darcy in her office twice more, then the last bit, after Ross was gone, three additional times. It wasn't until she was over the Atlantic on the way back that she realized she'd been entirely focused on  _ what Darcy had meant _ and hadn't given any thought to  _ why it was so important to her to find out _ .

After all, Darcy said plenty of things like that. She constantly told Pepper that she thought she was awesome or kickass.  Or encouraged her by assuring Pepper that she didn’t judge her for her work habits. Or took on tasks that others couldn't or wouldn't do. Or made Pepper handmade birthday gifts (belated, yes, but that hadn't stopped her). Or did a million other integral things that no one noticed or thanked her for, but kept the company running smoothly.

Pepper wondered if Darcy meant what she had said in a _romantic_ way, and if that was really why she worked so hard and did everything she could to make Pepper's life better.

She could only think of one answer to these wonderings, which led her to think about her next move. 

Pepper was pretty sure she couldn't ignore this. She wasn't sure why, though. She'd known about Tony's feelings for years, and had been content to wait until he got his head out of his ass.

Maybe the difference was that Darcy didn't have her head up anywhere. She was there for Pepper, every day, constantly showing how she felt even if she didn't say it in those exact words.

The final question that Pepper was left with was: how did  _ she _ feel about Darcy?

She was still puzzling over it when she had Happy take her back to her office. She didn't plan on working; she just wanted to be alone to think, and she knew laying alone in her bed wouldn't help.

"Oh my god, Pepper?! What are you doing here? Aren't you exhausted?" Darcy gasped, when Pepper walked in.

Pepper hadn't expected anyone to be there, much less the one person she'd spent an entire 8 hour flight thinking about. 

Then: "I love you, too."

"What?" Darcy said, the color draining out of her face.

"I love you, too," Pepper repeated. "I watched you deal with Ross, and heard what you said when he left. And... I love you too."

Darcy carefully set down the pile of paperwork she had been arranging and walked slowly over to Pepper, asking, “Like, platonically?”

Pepper shook her head.

Darcy bit her lip. “So… romantically.”

Pepper nodded.

"Are you sure you're not just sleep deprived?"

Pepper nodded again, unable to keep herself from grinning.

Darcy was grinning, too. "Awesome, good talk," Darcy said, and kissed her. 

Pepper dropped her bag and kissed Darcy right back.

"Okay," Darcy breathed, when air was necessary. "You need to get some sleep. Would you rather here on your couch, or should I get Happy to take you home?"

"I don't care," Pepper said, pressing her forehead to Darcy's. "As long as you're there when I wake up."

Darcy pressed another kiss to Pepper's mouth and said, "There’s nowhere else I’d rather be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading Slow Burn! If you enjoyed it, please check out some of the other fics in the 100 Ways to Say I Love You series!
> 
> [Reblog on tumblr](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com/post/174696725828/nowhere-else)
> 
> Tumblr: [catrinasl](http://catrinasl.tumblr.com)
> 
> Twitter: [@Catrina_SL](http://twitter.com/Catrina_SL)


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